Manufacture of metallic silicids.



electric furnace there is obtained calcium ieairnn'r GllEUIEtGESSTRAUSS, 015 PARIS, FRANCE, ASfiIGNOIP; T0 SOOIE'IE ANON'YME 11d. COM

PAGNIE GENEI'LALE lZDELECTItU-GI-IHHIE DE 302E111, 01F PARIEa, FRANQE, ACORPUEA- .l'llON QF FRANCE.

MANUIWAUT'UEE 015 METALLIC SILICIIDS.

No Drawing".

0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gnoncns tl'rnnnss, a citizen of the Republic ofFrance, resldmg at Paris, France, have invented Improve-- proved processof producing and industrially applyin g metallic siliciols, particularlyalkali earthy silicids.

- lhe known processes of producing metallic silicids are subject toserious inconveniences which are avoided according to this invention. Byway of example take the production of calcium silicid. It is well knownthat by heating a mixture, in definite proportions, of lime, silica andcarbon, in an silicid (CaSi according to the following equation thesilicon is employedin such a form that it cannot 've rise to theproduction, inthe presence 0 the silica or the lime respectively, of asilicate or some other combination which is difhcult to reduce.

lln a suitable way-of carrying out this invention the calcium ispreferably employed in the form of calcium carbid in place of lime andthe silicon in the form of metallic silicon in place of silica.Thereaction takes place according to the following equations Theimproved process which prevents the formation of silicates which aredifficult to reduce, is moreover easy to carry out. Practically itsuffices to employ for this purpose the calcium carbid of commerce,which only contains, -as is well known,'about 85 (eighty five) per cent.of calcium carbid and 15 Specification or Letters Patent. applicationfiled April it, nice. Serial l lo. tantra.

*tric furnace.

Ratented lFelo, ll, Jltlltl.

(fifteen) per cent. of free lime, and in the second case the siliconAlthoughit is true that with the 'carbid of calcium of commerce theformation of silicates of lime' is not absolutely avoided nevertheless,since the necessary calcium introduced in the form of lime is only in avery small proportion in comparison with that introduced in the form" ofcalcium carbid (CaC it results that the production of silicates of limeis negligible.

Experiments made with calcium silicid have shown that this metallicsilicid is ca pable of replacing with advantage the aluminium usuallyemployed in steel works for the purpose oi preventing the formation ofblow holes in steel ingots. The advantages ensuing from such applicationare, in addition to the economy secured by the very low price of calciumsilicid, very great rapidity of reaction and the suppression of theundesirable shortness which aluminium communicates to ingots of steel.

What I claim is l. lhe process of producing a metallic silicid whichconsists in causing carbon to react upon amixture of silicon and analkaline earth metal, the ingredients of said mixture being in suchchemical form and proportions as to substantially revent the formationof a diflicult-ly reduci le silicate, substantially as described.

2. The process of producing calcium silicid, which consists in causingcarbon to react upon a mixture of silicon and calcium, the ingredientsof said mixture being in such chemical form and proportions as tosubstantially prevent the formation of a difli cultly reduciblesilicate, substantially as described.

3. The process of producing calcium silicids, which consists in heatingan intimate mixing containing carbon, silicon and a calcium derivativeadapted to substantially prevent the formation of a diliicultlyreducible compound, substantially as described.

4. The process of producing calcium silicids, which consists in heatingan intimate mixture containing carbon, metallic silicon. prepared in anelectric furnace, anda calprepared in an elec- 5. The process ofproducing a pure metallic silicid, which consists in heating an int1-,mate mixture containing carbon, silicon and an alkaline earthmetal oxidadapted to substantial'ly prevent the formation of a difiicultlyreducible silicate, substantially as described.

- 6. The process of producing a metallic silicid which consists inheating an intimate mixture containing .carbon, metallic silicon and analkaline earth metal oxid adapted to substantially prevent the formationof a difficultly reducible silicate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses, at Paris this sixth day ofApril 1908. GEORGES STRAUSS. Witnesses: v

BENJAMIN BLooH, DEAN B. LIA-

